Business
Why It Remains a Core Asset in a Changing Market
Gold has maintained its position as a globally recognised store of value, even as financial markets have evolved significantly.
Unlike traditional investments such as equities or bonds, gold does not rely on earnings, dividends, or interest payments. Instead, its value is shaped by macroeconomic forces, including inflation, monetary policy, and investor confidence.
In an environment where financial conditions are becoming increasingly complex, gold is being reassessed not just as a defensive asset, but as a core component of long-term portfolio construction.
Accessing Gold in Modern Markets
One of the key developments in recent years has been the increasing accessibility of gold as an investment. Historically, physical ownership required significant capital, along with secure storage and insurance arrangements.
Today, investors can access physical gold more easily through providers such as Commonwealth Vault, which offers secure storage and direct ownership structures. This allows investors to hold allocated gold outside of traditional banking systems while maintaining full ownership. More information on how this works can be found at
For those looking to invest in gold more directly, the ability to buy gold online has expanded significantly. Investors can now purchase a range of bullion products, including bars and coins, with varying sizes and price points. A selection of physical gold options can be explored here:
These developments have broadened access to gold and made it easier to incorporate into a diversified portfolio.
Gold and Economic Cycles
Gold’s performance is closely linked to economic cycles, particularly periods of uncertainty or monetary expansion.
Following the Global Financial Crisis, gold prices more than doubled as central banks introduced large-scale stimulus measures. This increase in liquidity, combined with declining real interest rates, created a favourable environment for gold.
A similar pattern emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic. As governments and central banks responded with unprecedented fiscal and monetary support, gold reached record highs above USD 2,000 per ounce.
These examples highlight a consistent trend. When confidence in financial systems is tested, demand for gold tends to increase.
Inflation Protection Over Time
Gold has long been viewed as a hedge against inflation, although its effectiveness can vary in the short term. Over longer periods, however, it has demonstrated a strong ability to preserve purchasing power.
Since 1971, when the United States moved away from the gold standard under Richard Nixon, gold has delivered average annual returns of around 10 percent, according to the World Gold Council.
During the same period, inflation has significantly reduced the value of fiat currencies. Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that cumulative inflation has exceeded 600 percent.
This long-term dynamic reinforces gold’s role as a store of value, particularly in environments where monetary expansion is persistent.
Portfolio Stability and Risk Reduction
Gold’s diversification benefits are well established. It has historically exhibited low correlation with both equities and fixed income assets, making it an effective tool for reducing portfolio volatility.
During periods of market stress, gold often behaves differently from traditional assets. For example, during the sharp market decline in early 2020, the S&P 500 experienced significant losses, while gold recovered quickly and finished the year strongly.
This ability to perform independently of other asset classes is particularly valuable in the current environment, where traditional diversification strategies are being challenged.
Allocating a portion of a portfolio to gold can help reduce downside risk without significantly limiting long-term returns.
Structural Demand Trends
Gold demand is supported by both institutional and consumer activity, creating a strong underlying foundation for the market.
Central banks have been increasing their gold reserves in recent years as part of broader diversification strategies. According to the World Gold Council, central bank purchases exceeded 1,000 tonnes in 2022, the highest level on record.
At the same time, consumer demand remains strong, particularly in countries such as China and India. In these markets, gold serves both as a form of wealth preservation and a culturally significant asset.
Supply, however, remains relatively constrained. Annual gold production increases at a modest pace, and new discoveries are becoming less frequent. This imbalance between supply and demand provides long-term support for gold prices.
Risks and Market Sensitivity
While gold offers several benefits, it is not without risk.
Its performance is influenced by factors such as interest rates, currency movements, and investor sentiment. Periods of rising real interest rates can reduce demand for gold, as higher yields make income-generating assets more attractive.
A strengthening US dollar can also act as a headwind, as gold is priced globally in US dollars.
Short-term price movements can be volatile, particularly in response to economic data releases or changes in central bank policy. However, these fluctuations are typically part of broader market cycles.
Over longer time horizons, gold has maintained its role as a stabilising asset.
Outlook for Gold
The global economic outlook remains uncertain. Debt levels are elevated, inflation remains a concern, and central banks are navigating complex policy decisions.
According to the International Monetary Fund, global public debt continues to exceed 90 percent of GDP, limiting the flexibility of monetary policy.
In this context, assets that are not directly tied to financial systems or currencies become increasingly relevant.
Gold’s independence from these systems is one of its defining characteristics. It does not rely on the performance of any single economy or institution, making it a valuable component of a diversified portfolio.
Gold continues to serve as a core asset within modern investment strategies.
Its long-term performance, combined with strong demand and limited supply growth, supports its role as a store of value and a diversification tool.As global conditions evolve, gold remains a practical option for investors seeking stability, resilience, and long-term value preservation.
The S&P 500 and Nasdaq have notched record high closes, lifted by Intel and other AI-related stocks, as a US-Iran ceasefire held firm and investors focused on strong quarterly earnings.
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Spear Invest founder and CIO Ivana Delevska discusses how Amazons investment in Anthropic is supporting the AI trade on Making Money.
An investment banker is offering up about $8 million in Bay Area real estate, including a nearly $5 million house, in exchange for stock options for AI giant Anthropic ahead of the company’s potential initial public offering (IPO).
Storm Duncan, the founder of tech investment bank Ignatious, is proposing a deal that would see him exchange a four-bedroom, five-bath estate in Mill Valley in exchange for Anthropic shares, as the company reportedly explores an IPO this year, Realtor.com reported.
Duncan’s 4,372-square-foot home was built in 2005 and has views across San Francisco Bay as well as of the surrounding, while also featuring an infinity pool and chef’s kitchen area. Realtor.com’s automated valuation models put a $4.8 million price tag on the home, while Duncan says his 11-acre property next door is worth about $4 million and would be included in a deal.
Anthropic, the creator of AI assistant Claude, is looking to secure financing based on a valuation of close to $1 trillion, according to reports, though Duncan is basing his proposed deal on an $800 billion valuation for the tech startup.
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A Bay Area tech investor is looking to swap about $8 million in real estate for Anthropic stock ahead of a possible IPO. (Brandon Sloter/Getty Images / Getty Images)
Duncan is hoping to make a deal with an Anthropic employee who has a large number of shares in the company that are currently illiquid, as the company hasn’t gone public and transfers of shares are subject to restrictions. While he already holds about $1 million in Anthropic shares, he wants to increase his exposure to the company.
He told Realtor.com that he sees the deal as potentially appealing to a younger Anthropic employee who could be on track to have a large amount of valuable stock in the AI company that they want to diversify out of, adding that ahead of the IPO it would allow them to lower their tax basis.
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Anthropic is the creator of the Claude AI assistant. (Jaque Silva/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Duncan told the outlet that it’s a “diversification play for me, too. Less exposure to real estate, more exposure to AI. And I think Anthropic is demonstrating that it will have the most fundamental value.”
The property hasn’t been listed with agencies or the multiple listing service, according to the report, but launched a LinkedIn page for it and has received some genuine inquiries so far that haven’t led to a sale.
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Duncan’s multi-million dollar property he’s offering in the swap is located in the Bay Area. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Duncan said in the report that he would structure the deal so that shares would be transferred after the lockup period concludes.
He said that he’s realistic about the possibility of finding the right buyer who has Anthropic shares worth millions of dollars, but he thought it’s worth a shot, explaining that he thinks “it’s a less than 50% chance that something happens,” in part because a “home is a very emotional purchase.”
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Business
Upstart Holdings, Inc. 2026 Q1 – Results – Earnings Call Presentation (NASDAQ:UPST) 2026-05-05
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NEW YORK — DigitalOcean Holdings Inc. (NYSE: DOCN) shares exploded more than 35% Tuesday morning, surging to around $147.61 after the cloud infrastructure company reported blockbuster first-quarter 2026 results that far exceeded Wall Street expectations and highlighted accelerating AI-driven growth.
The stock, which closed Monday at roughly $108, jumped as much as 38.55% intraday on heavy volume as investors cheered record revenue, strong customer expansion and upbeat guidance tied to its expanding “agentic inference cloud” platform. The move added billions to the company’s market capitalization in a single session.
DigitalOcean reported first-quarter revenue of $257.9 million, up 22% year-over-year and well above analyst estimates of approximately $249.8 million. Non-GAAP earnings per share reached $0.44, crushing consensus forecasts of $0.27. The company also posted robust growth in key metrics, including million-dollar customer ARR surging 179% and AI customer ARR jumping 221%.
AI and Inference Cloud Driving Surge
Management highlighted strong traction in its AI-native offerings, including the recently launched Inference Engine. The company noted that AI workloads are becoming a significant growth driver, with customers reporting substantial cost savings and performance improvements compared to larger cloud providers.
Annual run-rate revenue reached $1.032 billion, up 22% year-over-year. Net income attributable to common stockholders stood at $16 million. Executives expressed confidence in continued momentum, citing demand from startups and enterprises building AI applications on the platform.
Raised Guidance Fuels Optimism
DigitalOcean also provided optimistic forward-looking commentary, reinforcing investor enthusiasm. The strong beat and positive tone on AI opportunities triggered widespread analyst upgrades and price target increases in recent weeks, setting the stage for Tuesday’s breakout.
Company Transformation and Strategy
DigitalOcean has evolved from a developer-friendly VPS provider into a specialized cloud platform focused on simplicity, affordability and high-performance AI inference. Its agentic inference cloud targets workloads that require fast, cost-effective model deployment — a sweet spot as AI adoption accelerates among smaller companies and startups.
The company operates a global network optimized for low-latency applications and has been winning business from customers seeking alternatives to hyperscale providers like AWS, Azure and Google Cloud. Recent product launches and acquisitions have strengthened its position in the fast-growing inference market.
Analyst and Market Reaction
Wall Street responded positively to the results. Multiple firms raised price targets following the report, with several highlighting DigitalOcean’s ability to capture AI market share while maintaining disciplined growth. The stock’s dramatic move reflects both the earnings surprise and broader enthusiasm for AI infrastructure plays.
Volume surged as retail and institutional investors piled in. The rally marks one of the largest single-day percentage gains for the stock in recent memory and pushes it to fresh all-time highs.
Valuation and Outlook
Even after today’s surge, analysts see further upside potential given the company’s growth trajectory. However, the rapid move also raises questions about near-term valuation and the risk of profit-taking. DigitalOcean trades at a premium multiple, reflecting expectations of sustained high growth in the AI cloud sector.
For the remainder of 2026, the company expects continued expansion in its core business and AI offerings. Investors will watch upcoming quarters for evidence of sustained momentum and margin trends as the company invests in capacity.
Broader Context
DigitalOcean’s performance comes amid a strong period for select cloud and AI infrastructure names. While larger hyperscalers dominate headlines, smaller, specialized providers like DigitalOcean are carving out niches with better economics for certain workloads. Tuesday’s reaction underscores investor appetite for companies delivering tangible AI growth.
As the earnings season progresses, DigitalOcean’s results provide a positive data point for the broader technology sector. The company’s focus on developer experience and cost efficiency continues to resonate in a market seeking practical AI solutions.
The stock’s explosive move on Tuesday highlights the market’s reward for companies that execute well in high-growth areas. Whether this momentum sustains will depend on future delivery, but the Q1 report has clearly energized investors and reaffirmed DigitalOcean’s position as a rising player in the cloud and AI infrastructure landscape.
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